Valentine's Day (But this is only partly for you)
Life Story Magic, a minor tech foul-up, and maybe a chance to ask questions.
The day after tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Or perhaps I should say St. Valentine's Day, as its origins have to do with an enigmatic third century Christian saint. That was a long time ago and we don't exactly have perfect records, but the story goes generally like this:
Valentine was a priest or bishop in Rome who (perhaps) was imprisoned for having performed weddings involving Roman soldiers and their brides at a time when Emperor Claudius II banned them. The rationale, if there was one, was supposedly that single soldiers would fight better.
In prison, Valentine was said to have cured the blindness of the daughter of either a judge or the jailer; afterward, he and all of the remaining Christians being held in that prison were released.
Later, Valentine was arrested again, and eventually executed on February 14, 269. Or maybe it was the year 270. Still, long ago.
All of which brings us to my latest nascent Life Story Magic effort.
Wait, one more digression: I want to emphasize the point of this whole project if I might.
In a way, it's not really about you -- or me -- or whoever is answering the questions. At least, it's not *only* about us.
Instead, it's about recording these memories in whatever form, so that long after we're gone, our family, friends, loved ones, and even total strangers who have no connection to us whatsoever might someday hear a bit of them, and learn.
So I hope we don't just answer the questions — but also get inspired to ask them of other people.
So, let's dive and share a few of your answers to this week’s question:
"How did you find the love of your life?"
You can read also through most of the answers in the two previous installments of this effort: HERE and HERE. But I think I want to highlight the stories of a few of those of you who took the time to leave voicemails.
(I'm going to use transcriptions instead of including the audio; I had a bit of a tech problem and it isn't working right -- and I'm writing this now at 10:30 p.m. So, I'll try to figure that out for future editions.)
Here's what a few of your fellow readers had to say (edited for length):
Melanie: "We were Peace Corps volunteers, and it was the first week of orientation in Philadelphia at a hotel. We were done early and went to see a Muppet Movie. Then we were stationed on opposite sides of Kenya, but we stayed in touch as pen pals. We had some relationships in between but we finished two years in the Peace Corps and traveled around the world together, and we're still together after 46 years living happily ever after"
Lynne: "How did I meet the love of my life? My older brother introduced us on November 21st, 1990. Who says that a relationship where you meet someone at a bar can't last? My now-husband Louie, there is a 10-year age difference, but it's still worked. I was 18 at the time and finished college and we've been together since. It does go by fast. You're right about that."
Anonymous: “My dad was a truck driver. He always had a CB radio, and we had one in our dining room. My future husband -- well, he was in high school also, and he and some of his friends had radio kits. We started talking to each other on CB radio, and then started dating, and eventually got married. We will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary this summer. A different kind of dating app, I guess, back in the 1970s. I really enjoy your newsletter. Thank you so much for the opportunity!”
Eric: “Hey Bill, I've been reading your newsletter for a while, love it. I always thought I'd be one of those guys that just let work be the love of his life. As I grew older, I realized a person I had met in 2009 had really been the person that I should have been with. Covid actually helped us reconnect. It's been beautiful. It's been about two years in the relationship, but I've known her for 15 -- longer, actually. It's been a beautiful magical journey and it's pretty amazing how love and life just finds a way."
Meredith: "In the fall of 1996, our 8th-grade civics teacher, Coach Hogan, assigned us political parties, and told us we had to convince the rest of the school to vote for our candidates in a mock election. Our grades depended on it. As an 8th-grade girl, I found that the easiest way to get votes for my candidates was to talk to the 6th-grade boys. That's how I met my husband. We didn't start dating until 2007. He says it was the ultimate slow play on his part. We've been married now for 11 years and have two daughters who are also the love of my life. If it weren't for Bob Dole and Coach Hogan, my husband might never have had a crush on me. Thanks, Bill. Love your work."
Jay: “Bill, how's it going? Big fan. It was a dark and cold Monday night, November 29, 2004. Me and a few friends made our way to a local dive bar. Along came these two women. The one that really caught my eye was -- she still is -- unforgettable: A six-foot tall, slim blonde, with a face like an angel. We just got to talking. We had numerous shots of Jager and Jager bombs. I'm sure you've had one of those. So, we sat there and we talked and flirted for a while, and I saw her whisper to her friend something about me. We ended up probably staying there until closing time, which in Colorado is 2 a.m. ...
The voicemail cut off around here, but then he sent a text to finish the story: “But wait! There’s more! 😂 Still together 20 years later with two beautiful little girls!”
So, on Valentine's Day, tell the one (or the ones!) you love that you love them. And tell people your love story!
But maybe even better, ask people you care about to tell you theirs.
I'll bet you learn something interesting and inspiring in the process.
O.K. I think we'll try this for a few weeks and see if it catches on. Wednesdays: Life Story Magic Day. Eventually, I'll set this up so you can choose whether to get this feature, or just the original Understandably, or some of the other verticals I'd like to do, or everything.
That means we need a question for next week. We had a very narrow plurality (28%) when I asked which one people found most interesting last time. That question is -- and you can answer it in the comments below, or again by calling (762) 250-5433:
Have you changed your mind about faith or religion over the years? If so, how?
I'll be very interested to learn what people have to say about this one!
7 other things worth knowing today
Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained for more than three years in Russia, landed in the US on Tuesday night after the Trump administration secured his release. The deal to release Fogel, who was designated as wrongfully detained by the US State Department, was negotiated by President Donald Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, “and the President’s advisers,” according to a statement from national security adviser Mike Waltz. (CNN)
If Hamas doesn't return Israeli hostages by Saturday afternoon, "the ceasefire will be terminated," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in a statement following a meeting with his security cabinet. Netanyahu's statement came after President Donald Trump warned that "all hell is going to break out" unless Hamas releases all remaining hostages from Gaza by Saturday. (ABC News)
Pope Francis issued a major rebuke Tuesday to the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations of migrants, warning that the forceful removal of people purely because of their illegal status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.” Francis took the remarkable step of addressing the U.S. migrant crackdown in a letter to U.S. bishops in which he appeared to take direct aim at Vice President JD Vance’s defense of the deportation program on theological grounds. (AP)
A landfill site where a computer engineer lost a hard drive containing a Bitcoin wallet now worth about $770 million is set to close. Now the man, James Howells, who says his ex-girlfriend mistakenly chucked out a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins in 2013 and who has fought several losing legal battles to search the landfill, has a new proposal: to buy the land outright from the local government. (BBC)
If you could find out exactly how and when you'll die, would you want to know? A new AI-powered death clock claims to be able to do just that, predicting the method and age at which you will die, right down to the second. The free website, called the Death Clock, uses AI to analyze age, weight, and general outlook on life to 'accurately' predict how long you have left to live. (Daily Mail)
A prime, 2-acre plot of waterfront land on “Billionaire’s Row” in Palm Beach, FL, has hit the market for the jaw-dropping price of $200 million—just days after billionaire Estee Lauder heir William Lauder reportedly sold off a near-identical property for $178 million. Check it out at 1980 South Ocean Boulevard. (Realtor)
In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide: Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark reality. (Military.com)
Thanks for reading. Photo credit: Photo by David Sager on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this before at Inc.com. See you in the comments!
First, let me say I have a profound respect for those with whose faith in any denomination is rooted in doing good in the world. I myself am a recovering catholic best described as agnostic and a humanist. My moralistic compass is pointed at my firm belief that I have a responsibility to other living things that are tangible in the here and now and not because of some reward when I die. I started feeling this way in about 6th grade; ironically it was my catholic school lay teacher who inspired me to appreciate science and reason. This was solidified I think when I realized the only reason why I believed in god is the same reason I believed in Santa Claus, my parents told me both existed at early age. I am married to a devout catholic and I admire her commitment and we support each others choice of faith or lack thereof.
When I was a child, I called myself an atheist. This persisted into my thirties. I opted out of religion.
However, I am now deeply aware of my connection to god/power of the universe/consciousness.
My journey towards faith began when I met my guru. He never tried to tell me what to do or what to think. He would tell stories. And these stories made me think—I began to change. I wanted to understand how the world worked and how we are all connected.
He, and now me as well, knows the power of forgiveness. This is partially why I enjoyed your Feb. 10, 2025 blog which ends,
“Oh, and don't forget that forgiveness is power. So is having the courage to ask for it, or to grant it, or to move on and live without it.”
I think that this message has the power to improve lives exponentially—especially in today’s world where anxiety and anguish are all too commonplace.
The other thing I have learned about a religion or belief system is that when the teacher is also the student and vice versa then the process is much more effective and mutually beneficial.